Under ₹15 lakh on-road, India finally has real choice. Six EVs make the shortlist. One we’d actually recommend to a family member.

The shortlist

• Tata Tiago EV — ₹8.69–11.99 lakh ex-showroom. 250 km MIDC range (real-world ~190 km). 7.2 kW AC charging. The cheapest legitimately usable EV in India.
• MG Comet EV — ₹7.50–9.85 lakh. 230 km claimed (~170 km real). Two-seater realistically. Cheap to run, hopeless on highways.
• Tata Punch EV — ₹9.99–14.29 lakh. 421 km MIDC (~310 km real), 50 kW DC charging. This is the pick.
• Citroen eC3 — ₹12.84–13.45 lakh. 320 km claimed (~250 km real). Comfortable, slow to charge, sparse service network.
• Mahindra XUV400 EV — top trim creeps above ₹15 lakh, base trim sneaks under at ₹13.99. 456 km claimed. Outdated cabin.
• Tata Tigor EV — ₹12.49–13.75 lakh. 315 km claimed. Solid sedan if you need a boot.

Our pick: Tata Punch EV (Long Range)

At ₹12.99 lakh ex-showroom (~₹14.5 lakh on-road in Maharashtra) the Punch EV Long Range gets you the 35 kWh battery, real 300+ km of city range, 50 kW DC fast charging (10–80% in ~56 minutes), and Tata’s expanding service network. The interior won’t win awards, but the high seating, decent boot, and 5-star Bharat NCAP rating do the heavy lifting.

The one to avoid

The MG Comet EV. It’s a smart city pod, not a car for an Indian family. Two adults in the back means luggage on laps. Skip it unless you genuinely only commute solo within 30 km.

What we did NOT include

The MG Windsor EV starts at ₹14.00 lakh but the usable Pro trim with 50 kWh battery is ₹17.50 lakh — outside the budget. Mahindra BE 6 and Tata Curvv EV start well above ₹17 lakh.

[This is a developing piece — full review coming June 2026. Updated as we gather more data from Indian roads.]

By Gagan Thakur. Independent. No manufacturer money. See the methodology or the about page.